How Red Dead Redemption 2's Red Dead Online Learned From GTA 5 Online

Rockstar recently began to take the wraps off Red Dead Online, the separate online component of Red Dead Redemption 2 that will launch in beta a month after the main game. The roadmap sounds similar to that of GTA 5's GTA Online, given that Rockstar is already warning of some growing pains and signaling plans for long-term support with community feedback. The studio has also opened up about what it learned from GTA Online, and how this one will differ.

"One of the biggest differences between GTA and Red Dead universes is that you're often speeding through or flying over a GTA world, whereas in Red Dead Redemption the change of pace elevates the intimacy of the overall experience," Rockstar San Diego producer Josh Needleman told IGN. "We've tried to take the best elements and best content packs from Grand Theft Auto Online and use them for templates for what we are making here."

Needleman also said that the original Red Dead multiplayer fractured the audience as it added more content updates. The team learned that lesson and corrected it in GTA Online, and plans to make sure not to repeat those mistakes. He also suggested that GTA Online didn't really find its narrative voice until the advent of Heists, so the team is looking to that as an example.

None of this means GTA Online itself is going anywhere, though. It's been consistently supported for years since launch, and Rockstar North design director Imran Sarwar says that won't change.

"We vaguely plan to stagger the updates of both games so that players can switch between the two, but our development plans may not always allow this!" Sarwar said. "We think there will be a lot to love about Red Dead Online for fans of Grand Theft Auto Online, but we think that Red Dead Online will generate its own audience ready for something entirely new – however, exactly what form Red Dead Online will take as it finds it’s feet, we are not sure ourselves, but we think really want a focus on role-playing and morality."

We recently played Red Dead Redemption 2 for ourselves and wrapped up everything new that we saw--from selfie cameras to HUD options. Read about the most surprising new features and check out our pre-order guide for more details.

Red Dead Redemption 2 News And Details

• Red Dead Redemption 2: We Played It On PS4, Here's Everything We Saw
• Watch: We Played Red Dead Redemption 2
• Red Dead Redemption 2: All The New Features
• Red Dead Redemption 2's Most Surprising Features And Details
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Everything We Just Learned
• Like GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2 Is Playable In First-Person
• Here Are Red Dead Redemption 2's HUD Options
• Red Dead Redemption 2's Arthur Can Swim, Unlike John Marston
• Here's 27 New Red Dead Redemption 2 Screens
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Will Feature Woody Jackson's Music Again
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Has A Selfie Camera
• Red Dead Redemption 2 Lets You Drift On A Horse
• Red Dead Redemption 2's New Animal-Skinning Animation Is Truly A Sight To Behold
• Red Dead Redemption 2's Online Mode Gets A Beta A Month After Release Day
• Why Red Dead Redemption 2's Online Mode Is Launching After The Main Game
• Rockstar Will Stagger GTA 5 Online And Red Dead Online Update Releases